The Saga of All-Inclusive Haranguer F.C., Part Nine The game against Tefel was now done and dusted. It had been a nervy first half, when the visitors took the lead following a defensive mistake on Sutalen Desoka's part, but Haranguer did well to bounce back in the second half thanks to goals from Rory Edwards, the Riuwiee United loanee, and Samantha Leroux, the new signing from Armeia. They now had three points from their first game, but there was no time to dwell on that as they had another game coming on Wednesday, against Gyouza Young Lads.
The Lads were also a team that had Premier League experience, although that had been some time ago, and they weren't as much a part of the promotion race now as they had been before. But that wasn't to mean that they were to be underestimated. Their squad was, appropriately enough, made up of mostly young players that had risen up through the ranks of the Gyouza Academy, one of the premier football academies in Abanhfleft, or loaned out from Premier League sides that wouldn't play the youngsters for the league matches. There were a smattering of veteran players in the side to provide leadership and experience to the young players.
On Tuesday night, the players of All-Inclusive Haranguer flew to Gyouza in Eielo Province in preparation for their second game of the season. With more teams playing in the lower leagues than the Premier League, there were obviously more games played in lower divisions like
Unang Liga, but the players didn't mind (much), as that was the way the league worked. Simple as that.
There was a single change in the starting lineup that faced Tefel, with Sam Gonza coming in for Rory Edwards for the match against Gyouza. It proved to be a well-made change as Gonza headed in the long ball from Desoka to give Haranguer the lead just twenty minutes into the match. Fired up by Gonza's goal, Haranguer continued to press into Gyouza's half and were rewarded when provider Desoka turned scorer as he also headed in the ball from a corner taken by Gonza.
Surely things could only get better for Haranguer. But it almost wasn't to be, as Gyouza's Otto Griezwald, on loan from Sporting Ceneisis, managed to burn past Desoka before launching the ball over Callisto Parra and into the roof of the net to give Gyouza a goal back into the game. Later analysis would reveal that Desoka was being left alone in midfield to protect the back line, as his fellow central midfielders were bombing up the pitch in an attempt to get involved in the attack. Tom Mereilles could be seen shouting instructions at his players from his technical area following the goal for Gyouza, and it seemed as if the central midfielders had been properly chagrined into helping Desoka provide cover for Haranguer's back four.
Near the halfway mark of the second half, Mereilles brought on Rory Edwards and Samantha Leroux as substitutes, although as center forwards and not their usual CAM roles. It seemed not to be the best time for the team to experiment in player roles, but as it turned out, they would be well rewarded for their daring to experiment. Almost as soon as the two new subs stepped onto the pitch, Callisto Parra started off a play that saw every Haranguer player touch the ball before ending in a one-two pass between Edwards and Leroux before the Armeian international finally slotted home the ball past the Gyouza keeper.
But the fight wasn't yet out of Gyouza, and Griezwald stroked home his second of the game to keep Haranguer on their toes. In the end, though, it was a 3-2 victory for All-Inclusive Haranguer, and another vital three points secured, this time away from home.
But on the flight back to Haranguer, Tom Mereilles was not as happy with the result as anyone thought he would be. "We could've kept the clean sheet," he said to his wife, Janine Fuller, the club's co-manager. "Our other central mids were running up the pitch, trying to get involved when they weren't needed. We need to get more defensive-minded mids. Maybe even some actual defenders."
"There's still two weeks to go before deadline day," Janine replied. "There's still time to look at some more players and see if they can fit in well with our team."
"I know, I know, but where are we going to find them, though?" It was a question that would be answered later than both of them expected.
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WORLD CUP 73 QUALIFIERS: SAINTLAND VS ABANHFLEFTBy Malik QazizadahPlayers of Abanhfleft's men's national football team could only applaud Feministvs Sanctvsterra's excellent performance at home. (Courtesy of Crescent News Network Sports Channel/Andros Tasasa)
ST. PETRUS, SAINTLAND - A 2-1 lead coming into half-time wasn't enough for Abanhfleft to secure their first ever victory against Saintland or Feministvs Sanctvsterra, the organization currently playing for the Sanctii banner.
Valery Zolnerov did well to scoop the ball over keeper Virginia Seius to give Abanhfleft the lead twenty-five minutes in, and Gustavo Potter headed into the crossbar to almost double the Revolutionaries' lead.
Gloria Nasennius tapped the ball into the bottom left corner of the net from a Olivia Florius corner to put the hosts back on level terms.
Kevin Kelvin finally put Abanhfleft above once again with a superbly clinical finish to stretch Seius to the limit before the ball took the lightest of bumps from the post and nestled into the back of the net.
Coming into the second half Abanhfleft increased the pressure on Saintland, but it was this pressing that was to be their downfall, as Feministvs Sanctvsterra struck on the counter to level things and then gain the lead in the span of seven minutes.
Silvia Allectus got on the end of a Seius long ball before skipping past flat-footed Charles Amoroso and Luke Edwards to tap the ball into the net from close range.
Olivia Florius scored the decisive goal with a deceptive curling shot that bamboozled Maksim Varamoninov and made him a little too early only for him to see the ball bulge the back of the net.
Feministvs Sanctvsterra's defensive tenacity held up under the mounting Fleftic pressure, but Potter came awfully close to sealing a draw for Abanhfleft as his header was once again denied by the crossbar.
Abanhfleft manager Kasper Molak: Team must move on from "heartbreaking" lossAbanhfleft manager Kasper Molak: "The team did pretty well, I think. We showed good character and intensity and tenacity to hang on to a 2-1 lead under pressure and away from home, but their counterattack was too swift for us. We conceded two goals in the space of seven minutes, and that's never good for any team, from the lowest minnows to the top World Cup teams.
"It's a heartbreaking loss as we controlled the game for large portions, but their counter was too great for us. Feministvs Sanctvsterra aren't representing Saintland just for laughs. They've got the skills to do it.
"Everyone's saying that Abanhfleft's gonna choke again, miss out on the qualifiers for the second straight time after being given the chance on a silver platter. I say there's still a bunch of games to go, chances to win all the points we can. Don't write us off yet."
Abanhfleft is still sitting on second place but with only a two-point gap separating them from Devonta. Abanhfleft will host New Gelderland at the Stadion de December 27 in Imgortur, Verbergerkinnh.
SAINTLAND 3 - 2 ABANHFLEFT
NASENNIUS (39') ZOLNEROV (25')
ALLECTUS (67') KELVIN (44')
FLORIUS (74')
ABANHFLEFT
GK: 01 Varamoninov
RB: 05 Amoroso (Cervantes - 69')
RCB: 04 L. Edwards
LCB: 04 Mikkelsen
LB: 02 Samonte
RM: 08 Turpentine
CM: 19 Zolnerov
LM: 06 Musa █ (Rice - 55')
CAM: 20 R. Edwards
RS: 11 Kelvin (Beineka - 78')
LS: 10 Potter
SAINTLANDGK: 01 Seius
RB: 02 Junius (Rufus - 69')
RCB: 03 Tanicius
CB: 04 Nonius
CB: 05 Maximius (Dexius - 55')
LCB: 06 Dossenius
LB: 07 Vesuius
RM: 08 Epidius
CM: 09 Nasennius
LM: 10 Allectus
ST: 11 Florius (Ligustinius - 80')
MATCH STATISTICS
PossessionSaintland: 50%
Abanhfleft: 50%
ShotsSaintland: 12 (6 on target)
Abanhfleft: 14 (5 on target)
CornersSaintland: 9
Abanhfleft: 10
FoulsSaintland: 3
Abanhfleft: 5